Founded in San Francisco in 1964, the Society for Individual Rights (SIR)'s goals included public affirmation of gay and lesbian
identity, elimination of victimless crime laws, providing a range of social services (including legal aid) to "gays in difficulties,"
and promoting a sense of a gay and lesbian community. In particular, SIR's "leaders were more assertive and confident [as
compared to older homophile organizations] in their gay identity. Taking a cue from the burgeoning civil rights movement,
SIR demanded equal rights and decried government-sanctioned discrimination." The organization also departed from older groups
in its emphasis on the democratic process. By the late 1970s, however, SIR's influence diminished.